1. Field
Embodiments relate to an image fusing apparatus used in an electro photographic type image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an image fusing apparatus including a heater using carbon nano-tubes.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an image fusing apparatus fusing a developer image on a printing medium, a heating roller method that heats an entire surface of a heat roller has been widely used. However, nowadays, a belt fusing method having a low heat capacity is widely used in order to reduce time it takes and energy used to heat to a fusing temperature.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a belt type image fusing apparatus using the belt fusing method. Referring to FIG. 1, the belt type image fusing apparatus 200 includes a pressing roller 201, a fusing belt 203 that receives a rotation force from the pressing roller 201 so as to rotate, a guiding member 205 that is disposed inside the fusing belt 203 to guide rotation of the fusing belt 203, and a ceramic heater 207, that is, a heating member that is disposed on the guiding member 205, and heats a nip portion of the fusing belt 203.
Since the belt type image fusing apparatus 200 is a local heating method that heats only the nip portion of the image fusing apparatus 200 and thus has a low heat capacity, a temperature rising (increasing) standby time can be reduced and a width of the nip portion can be increased. However, the fusing belt 203 is formed in a thin film shape in order to increase thermal conductivity and is rotated by friction with the pressing roller 201 in the nip portion. A slip may occur between a printing medium P and the fusing belt 203 when the fusing belt 203 rotates at a high speed due to the structure of the fusing belt 203 as described above. Accordingly, reliability problems of the fusing belt 203 may occur. In order to solve the friction problem, lubrication may be applied. However, external contamination problems may occur due to the lubrication. Further since the ceramic heater 207 of the heating member is formed in a substantially flat plate shape, the belt type image fusing apparatus 200 has an advantage that when a printing medium P passes through the nip portion, curl does not occur. However, since there is an area where radius of curvature of the fusing belt 203 rapidly changes, durability of the fusing belt 203 may be reduced due to cumulative fatigue caused by bending.
For solving the problems, a belt type image fusing apparatus using a fusing belt having a resistance heating layer is provided. However, when this belt type image fusing apparatus performs continuously printing, temperature of a paper non-contact area of the fusing belt with which a printing medium is not in contact is highly increased so that the fusing belt and parts around the fusing belt are damaged.